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<DIV>Thanks Emily. It's thoughts and memories like these that give meaning
and character to our little town of Riverdale Park. Though I was first
attracted by the historic mansion of George Calvert and the many parks, river,
and fields sprinkled about the town, I soon came to realize that Riverdale Park
was really created by the railroad and perhaps the trolley. I've
enjoyed riding into the city via the Mark Train for a number of years. I've met
and talked with a number of train watchers, and while the Riverdale
Bookshop was still alive, I shared the thundering, rumbling clatter of
heavy trains that would interrupt the musicians as they played for a room full
of townsfolk. It was exhilarating and memorable. I felt that this was a special
place. </DIV>
<DIV>I did a painting of a small boy with his grandmother sitting in the
window of the Bookshop. Just outside, a freight is traversing the
intersection. The boy, who is suppose to be reading, is looking out the
window at the train. The train seems to offer excitement and
flights of fancy to the youth. It will become an intimate part of his
character, and some day, the inspiration for artistic or literary
expression. I called the painting, "The Reading Lesson." </DIV>
<DIV>Save the horns, whistles and clatter of steel wheels over steel rails.
They're intoxicating.</DIV>
<DIV>Gerald King</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
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<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=OurDollMom@aol.com
href="mailto:OurDollMom@aol.com">OurDollMom@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=towntalk@riverdale-park.org
href="mailto:towntalk@riverdale-park.org">towntalk@riverdale-park.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, April 23, 2007 8:47
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [RP TownTalk] Trains &
Horns</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>I really do not know how far away you can hear</DIV>
<DIV> the horn of an approaching train BUT I have always</DIV>
<DIV> heard the train horns crossing in the Riverdale area</DIV>
<DIV> between Riverdale & Berwyn Hgts/College Park</DIV>
<DIV> train track areas. And I have always depended</DIV>
<DIV> on the horns besides my eyes.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And the children depend on the horns besides </DIV>
<DIV>looking. I think parents have told their kids not</DIV>
<DIV>to play on the train tracks - but kids are kids - </DIV>
<DIV>what is playing to a parent - is not always playing</DIV>
<DIV>to a child.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>My boys played games on the tracks as kids.</DIV>
<DIV>And you know I told them umteen times not to </DIV>
<DIV>play on the tracks. They used to sit on the side</DIV>
<DIV>of the tracks & watch the trains go by.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>My dad & his brothers (in Branchville area) used</DIV>
<DIV>to walk the tracks - my uncle is 81 & still has </DIV>
<DIV>his trains & scenery up in his basement. The </DIV>
<DIV>other brothers have passed on now. I used to </DIV>
<DIV>have trains & layout under my Xmas tree & in the</DIV>
<DIV>attic. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>On nice days in the past I have walked to the shop </DIV>
<DIV>and crossed the tracks in the Ravenswood area or</DIV>
<DIV>down at the far end of Lafayette.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There is something about railroad tracks & trains</DIV>
<DIV>that draw you there - maybe knowing how far &</DIV>
<DIV>wide a train travels & what adventures a train may</DIV>
<DIV>have seen. When in my early 20s - my girlfriend</DIV>
<DIV>and I hopped an open door freight train & rode - it</DIV>
<DIV>was scary on the way back to jump off a slowly</DIV>
<DIV>moving train car. Lucky we did not get killed.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Since my car accident I have crossed a couple of</DIV>
<DIV>times....once in the snow - but using a hiking stick.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>At the far end of Lafayette people cross all the</DIV>
<DIV>time and sit along the side of the tracks eating</DIV>
<DIV> as they leave their lunch/dinner trash laying about</DIV>
<DIV> which I used to pick up daily. There is a path there.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>At one time there were crossing paths off and on all</DIV>
<DIV>along the train tracks between Riverdale & College Pk.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I do not have a problem with the new gates coming.</DIV>
<DIV>But I do have a problem with silencing all horns. </DIV>
<DIV>There has to be a HAPPY MEDIUM PLAN.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Emily</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR>
<DIV><FONT style="FONT: 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF; COLOR: black">
<HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">
See what's free at <A title=http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503
href="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" target=_blank>AOL.com</A>.
</FONT></DIV>
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